Means for raising sunken objects.



J. CLEMENTS. MEANS FOR RAISING SUNKEN OBJECTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1917.

LM MW Patenteweb. 5, 1918.

MEANS FOR RAISINGSUNKEN OBJECTS.

Application filed March 14, 1917.

f0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Jnssn CLEMnNTs, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain, residing at The Gables, London Road, Northfleet Kent, England, contractor, have invented certain new and useful Means for Raising Sunken Objects; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to means for raising to the surface of water sunken vessels and other submerged objects.

According to my invention, I employ collapsible and inflatable lifting buoys or chambers, preferably approximately spherical or ovoid in form, each comprising an outer cover of strong flexible material, such for example as stout canvas, and a lining of airtight material, such as india-rubber the outer cover is inclosed in a strong rope network and the lifting buoy is furnished with an air inlet valve adapted fOr connection with the feed pipe of an air pump, and has also a shackle or the like to which a rope may be attached for lowering it into the water. The lifting buoy is also provided with hooks, grips or other engaging means connected with the inclosing network aforesaid, and adapted to be secured to the object to be raised.

Preferably a grip automatically closed upon the object by the expansion of the lifting buoy when inflated, would be employed, as hereinafter described;

In using my invention, the lifting buoy having been connected up with the feed pipe of an air pump on the salvage vessel, or elsewhere, is lowered in a collapsed condition into the water by means of a lowering rope attached to its shackle, and is then secured to the object to be raised by a diver,

the buoy is then inflated and lifting power obtained by its buoyancy.

A large number of these buoys, which are very portable, may be carried on a salvage or other vessel, or on other transporting means, and they would be made in varying sizes, say 5, 10, 15, and 20 tons lifting capacity or more, a buoy adapted to raise 20 tons, which is a very convenient size, being roughly, if spherical in form, about 11 or 12 feet in diameter. According to the weight of the object to be raised, so a greater or less Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, I918. Serial No. 154,662.

number of these buoys would be attached to it.

In the annexed drawing I have shown more or less diagrammatically, in sectional elevation, a lifting buoy in accordance with my invention.

a is the outercover which may be composed of several thicknesses of stout canvas or other suitable strong and flexible material, b is the air-tight lining of india-rubber orthe like, 0 is the rope network inclosing the outer cover, (Z is a non-return air valve, 6 is a union for connecting the feed pipe of an air pump with the latter, and f is a swiveling shackle to which a rope may be attached for lowering the buoy into the water.

The grips 9, consisting of a pair of arms pivoted together at g, have their upper ends connected by the ropes h with the network 0, so that when the lifting buoy is expanded by inflation, as shown, these grips will be automatically closed upon any object between their jaws.

A lifting buoy or buoys, such as above described, may be lowered into a hold or other compartment of a sunken vessel, and when inflated will displace the water therein. Provided a suitable number of lifting buoys are used, sunken vessels of any size can be raised by means of my invention.

It is to be understood that I do not con" fine or limit myself to the precise constructional details described and shown in the drawing, which may obviously be varied without departing from my invention.

The non-return air valve 0 may be adapted to be opened at will to release the contained air and deflate the buoy when required, or a separate air release valve or valves may be provided.

What Iclaim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with an expansible buoy, of object engaging means comprising relatively movable grippers, and means surrounding said buoy and having depending portions connected with said grippers whereby expansion of saidbuoy will draw said depending portions in opposite directions and close the grippers on any object between the same.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with an expansible buoy, of a pair of pivotally connected grippers, a net worksurrounding said buoy, and a connecset my hand in the presence of two wittion between each gripper and said network nesses. whereby expansion of said buoy will draw said connections in opposite directions to JESSE CLEMENTS.

5 close the grippers on any object therebe-' Witnesses:

tween. SIDNEY J. THORNHILL,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto A. E. ALEXANDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

